Device for heating of instruments particularly for sterilization

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for passing instruments through a flame wherein the flame is intermittently ignited so as to burn only when an instrument is within the flame area, and more particularly a device for sterilization of bacteriological loops by annealing.

United States Patent (iii'nskfi 1 July 8, 1975 DEVICE FOR HEATlNG OF INSTRUMENTS [56] References Cited PARTICULARLY FOR STERILIZATION UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: Bedrich Ciz'inski, Prague, 3,067,016 12/1962 Rozycki [95/127 Czechoslovakia 3,721,525 3/1973 Hortig et a1 432/230 [73] Assignee: Universita Karlova, Prague, Primary Examiner Barry S Richman Czechoslovakia Assistant Examiner-Dale Lovercheck [22] Filed: Nov. 30, 1973 Attorney, Agent, or FirmMilton 1. Wayne [21] Apple No.: 420,386 ABSTRACT An apparatus for passing instruments through a flame [52] Cl g gl i ij wherein the flame is intermittently ignited so as to burn only when an instrument is within the flame area, [5 I] i 3/00; (312k and more particularly a device for sterilization of bac- Fleld of Search R, 2, 79, teriological loops annealing 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 DEVICE FOR HEATING OF INSTRUMENTS PARTICULARLY FOR STERILIZATION The present invention relates to a device for heating instruments, and more particularly, to a device for the sterilization of bacteriological loops.

In laboratory practice, no similar device has been known up to this time, so that each instrument to be sterilized by annealing has had to be kept over a flame of a burner and its sterility assessed for each piece separately. This manual method of sterilization has been both tedious and unreliable because sterilized instruments have been laid on a tray and thus subject to contamination. Another drawback of this manual sterilization is that the amount of sterility is assessed by an operator and the time necessary for annealing may be estimated as too short. Manual manipulation by an operator of used and/or infected instruments may endanger the operator, apart from the fact that this work calls for his full attention and prevents him from doing anything else. For the heating of small instruments and machine parts in industrial production, vertical turrets are used, where these parts are heated, e.g., by a high frequency. These devices, however, are not suitable for laboratory work due to their high price and single-purpose character.

The drawbacks described hereinbefore are avoided in a device for heating of instruments according to the present invention. The present device is characterized in that arranged parallel with an axis of a gas burner is a revolving shaft and a container for instruments, and wherein a solenoid valve for interrupting of gas supply into said burner is coupled with revolving motion of said container. The container for instruments is powered by a motor drive, preferably by an electric motor drive through a gearbox, Geneva movement, and two spur geared wheels engaged with said drive. Still another characteristic of the present invention is that a container for instruments is provided with holders for retaining instruments, in such position that the main axis of said instruments is parallel with an axis of said container.

A device according to the present invention is suitable in particular for heating ends of stick-like instruments, for instance for heating of bacteriological loops. This device simplifies the work; so that the operator may operate the device only from time to time and no continual care is necessary. A device according to the present invention is very economical, because the size of container may be chosen according to the most advantageous number of heat-treated instruments.

The device is very easy to produce and requires a minimum of maintenance. Another benefit of a device according to the present invention is that the possibility of perfect heating is automatic and dependent only on a preselected time which may be chosen according to the character of heated instruments. Still another benefit of the present invention in comparison with the manual or continual method of heating instruments is that the energy is conserved in that the gas is supplied only during the moment of heating of an instrument. Thus the atmosphere in the laboratory is improved as well.

The invention is further described below with references to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a front view partly in section;

FIG. 2 is a cut away view of the gearbox; and

FIG. 3 is a view of the gearbox cam.

The device comprises a gas burner I with a supply of a gas through an input pipe 8 and solenoid valve 2. Parallel with an axis of said gas burner] is an axis of container 6 for heated instruments. The container 6 is arranged so that the instruments are either hung or inserted within the container and said container is swivel mounted and rotated by means of a gearing mechanism. The gearing wheel 4 is driven by a double gear with Geneva movement 5, 5' so that two different rates of container stepwise rotation may be used. Two rates of stepwise rotation of said container 6 may be selected by an axial movement of gear shift lever 7 in a hollow axis of Geneva movement, wherein perpendicular to said axis are two pins II and 11' and wherein said pins are successively engaged with toothed collars l2 and 12' fixedly mounted on each Geneva movement 5. FIG. 2. The Geneva movement is powered by an electric motor 3 with a gearbox. At the same time the driving part of Geneva movement is arranged as a double acting cam 13 controlling a micro-switch on solenoid valve 2; and according to the selected rate of rotation and movement of said container 6 by means of said Geneva movement 5, 5' said valve 2 opens or closes the supply ofgas into said gas burner 1. An auxiliary burner I0 is provided within a gas burner 1 for ignition.

The device of this invention described herein. functions as follows: Instruments to be heated, for instance bacteriological loops, are inserted into the container 6. As may be seen in FIG. 1, during the rotation of said container 6, said bacteriological loops reach by their ends into the flame of gas burner I. Said flame of the gas burner l is interrupted by a solenoid valve 2, controlled by a micro-switch from a driven portion of Geneva movement, 5, 5' by means of two rocking levers, so that the supply of gas into said gas burner l is interrupted just in the moment when the instrument leaves the flame area of said gas burner I. The supply of gas is reopened in the moment when another instrument is revolved over the flame area of the gas burner l and at the same time said gas burner l is ignited by an auxiliary burner 10. Using the proper shape of Geneva movement 5, 5' the character of stepwise rotation may be changed.

In the alternate the container 6 may be arranged for hanging of instruments; the arrangement of instruments in the direction of surface lines of container 6 remains unchanged so that said instruments are heated over said gas burner I on one side only.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for the flame sterilization of the work-end for instruments which comprises:

a base, a shaft mounted to said base; a burner means providing a flame, said burner means being mounted on said base adjacent and parallel to said shaft; a container rotatably mounted on said shaft, said container holding instruments having a workend and a handle end, the instruments to be sterilized being placed with instrument handle-end on the bottom and to one side of the container and the working-end of each instrument extending beyond and supported by the upper edge of the opposite side of the container so as to hold said instrument work-ends within the flame of said burner means; a means operatively connected to said shaft for rotating said container for moving said instruments into and out of said flame, and an automatic means operatively connected to said burner means for maintaining a flame on said burner means only when said instruments are within said flame. 2. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said container is motor driven by an electric motor. 3. In an apparatus for the flame sterilization of the work-end of instruments, of the type comprising a burner, gas connection means for connecting said burner to a gas supply, and holder means for holding instruments to be sterilized in the flame of said burner. the holder means having a plurality of instrument holding positions, the improvement comprising means for automatically moving said holder means to sequentially align separate holding positions with said burner. whereby an instrument at an aligned position is positioned for sterilization in the flame of the burner for a coupled to intermittently rotate said shaft means. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR THE FLAME STERLIZATION OF THE WORK-END FOR INSTRUMENTS WHICH COMPRISES: A BASE, A SHAFT MOUNTED TO SAID BASE, A BURNER MEANS PROVIDING A FLAME, SAID BURNER MEANS BEING MOUNTED ON SAID BASE ADJACENT AND PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT, A CONTAINER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, SAID CONTAINER HOLDING INSTRUMENTS HAVING A WORK A WORK-END AND A HANDLE END, THE INSTRUMENTS TO BE STERILIZED BEING PLACED WITH INSTRUMENT HANDLE-END ON THE BOTTOM AND TO ONE SIDE OF THE CONTAINER AND THE WORKING-END OF EACH INSTRUMENT EXTENDING BEYOND AND SUPPORTED BY THE UPPER EDGE OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CONTAINER SO AS TO HOLD SAID INSTRUMENT WORKENDS WITHIN THE FLAME OF SAID BURNER MEANS, A MEANS
 2. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said container is motor driven by an electric motor.
 3. In an apparatus for the flame sterilization of the work-end of instruments, of the type comprising a burner, gas connection means for connecting said burner to a gas supply, and holder meanS for holding instruments to be sterilized in the flame of said burner, the holder means having a plurality of instrument holding positions, the improvement comprising means for automatically moving said holder means to sequentially align separate holding positions with said burner, whereby an instrument at an aligned position is positioned for sterilization in the flame of the burner for a predetermined period, and means responsive to the movement of said holder means for interrupting flow of gas in said gas connection whenever none of said holding positions of said holder means is aligned with said burner.
 4. The flame sterilization apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means for interrupting flow of gas comprises solenoid valve means.
 5. The flame sterilization apparatus of claim 3 wherein said holder means comprises shaft means, and container means on said shaft means for holding said instruments, and said means for automatically moving said holder means comprises Geneva movement means coupled to intermittently rotate said shaft means. 